Lochia

Lochia is the vaginal discharge that follows birth. It contains blood, mucus, and shed decidual tissue from the placental site. As the uterus contracts and involutes, the contracting myometrium compresses the vessels at that site, so the discharge should gradually become lighter and less bloody. The normal sequence is: - Lochia rubra: bright red and relatively copious during the first 3 to 4 days; small clots may be present. - Lochia serosa: pink to brown and lighter in amount from about day 4 through day 10. - Lochia alba: white or yellow and scant; it may continue until approximately 4 to 6 weeks postpartum. These time frames are guides, not permission to ignore a change in the patient’s condition. The nurse interprets colour together with amount, trend, clots, odour, uterine tone, fundal position, vital signs, and symptoms. A small clot during the rubra phase can be expected; a clot larger than a golf ball is not.